Moon Jae-in won the May 9 presidential election in South Korea receiving 41.1% of the vote

South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. Moscow expects the new South Korean leadership to step up joint efforts aimed at solving issues related to North Korean nuclear program, Russian Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Timonin said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"South Korean authorities have been considering Russia as an influential player as far as the situation on the Korean Peninsula goes," the ambassador said. "We expect the new South Korean leadership to step up cooperation with our country in order to facilitate the search for a peaceful solution to the North Korea issue," Timonin added.

According to the diplomat, Russia, North Korea and South Korea could particularly implement trilateral projects. The ambassador mentioned a project stipulating that Moscow and Pyongyang would use the railway corridor connecting Russia’s Khasan station and North Korea’s Rajin station. In Timonin’s opinion, this project "remains relevant as it provides the two Korean states with an opportunity to build bilateral relations."

"President Moon Jae-in said that he was ready to develop relations with North Korea as the nuclear issue was solved, which opens a window of possibilities for trilateral cooperation on projects that are nearly implemented," the Russian ambassador added.

Moon Jae-in won the May 9 presidential election in South Korea receiving 41.1% of the vote. At the inauguration ceremony, the new president expressed readiness to visit North Korea to improve bilateral relations.